The Walls We Build: Self-Protection That Turns into Self-Isolation
The Brave Enough Show for Women Physicians
Release Date: 02/27/2026
Leaving Without Burning Bridges: How to Leave Jobs, Roles, and Relationships with Integrity
The Brave Enough Show for Women Physicians
In this episode of The Brave Enough Show, Dr. Sasha Shillcutt discusses: When it’s time to leave vs. when it’s time to renegotiate How to exit without over-explaining Letting go of the need to be “the good one” Scripts for graceful transitions “One of the hardest things high-achieving women do isn’t starting something. It’s leaving something.” - Dr. Sasha Shillcutt For ten years, women have gathered at the to step away from the demands of...
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Identity After the Title: Who Am I Without This Role?
The Brave Enough Show for Women Physicians
In this episode of The Brave Enough Show, Dr. Sasha Shillcutt and Jane Hanson discuss: Career identity loss (doctor, leader, achiever, caregiver) Why we as women undervalue ourselves and how to stop doing it Changing people and friendships as you evolve Practical exercise: separating who you are from what you do “When your friends change, you have not failed. The opposite is true: you are growing.” -Jane Hanson Guest Bio: Jane Hanson – Emmy-Winning Journalist, Communication...
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The Shock of Transition: When the Life You Built Stops Feeling Like Home
The Brave Enough Show for Women Physicians
In this episode of The Brave Enough Show, Dr. Sasha Shillcutt discusses: Why transitions feel destabilizing (even good ones) Why women feel guilt for wanting “more” Naming the invisible grief of change Normalize the “What is wrong with me?” phase “You’re grieving a version of life that no longer fits who you’re becoming.” – Dr. Sasha For ten years, women have gathered at the to step away from the demands of medicine and into a space of renewal. This anniversary year,...
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Rebuilding Your Circle After Burnout
The Brave Enough Show for Women Physicians
In this episode of The Brave Enough Show, Dr. Sasha Shillcutt and Dr. Nikia Smith discuss: The different symptoms of burnout How important it is to understand the types of rest Healing in community The cure for burnout isn’t what you think “Self-care is not the cure for burnout. It is engagement with both yourself and others.” -Dr. Nikia Smith Dr. Nikia Smith is a board-certified anesthesiologist, wellness coach, and retreat facilitator. She’s also the founder of She Is Fire Forged, a transformative wellness brand...
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The Walls We Build: Self-Protection That Turns into Self-Isolation
The Brave Enough Show for Women Physicians
In this episode of The Brave Enough Show, Dr. Sasha Shillcutt and Dr. Sunny Smith discuss: Being lonely in a room full of people How to tear down the walls we build Not believing everything we think “We are meant to live in community with others. When we are vulnerable, authentic, and truthful, we open ourselves up for real connection.” -Dr. Sunny Smith Dr. Sunny Smith is the Founder and CEO of Empowering Women Physicians, the most effective physician coaching program documented to date. Dr Smith brings her background as an awarded...
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Making New Friends in Midlife
The Brave Enough Show for Women Physicians
In this episode of The Brave Enough Show, Dr. Sasha Shillcutt discusses: Friendship used to happen by proximity — now it requires intention The hidden fears that stop women from reaching out Where new friendships actually form in midlife “Friendship is built through repeated small moments, not one big one.” - Dr. Sasha Shillcutt , my new, short, on-demand course, is designed to be your toolkit for making small changes that add up to a big reset. In just three easy modules, you’ll walk away with your personal plan...
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What Adult Friendship Really Looks Like (and Why It’s So Hard)
The Brave Enough Show for Women Physicians
In this episode of The Brave Enough Show, Dr. Sasha Shillcutt, Krystal Eicher, & Wendy Guth discuss: How “having it all together” can keep us from meaningful friendship Why friendship is so important for women leaders and entrepreneurs Why “messy” friendships matter “Women have shared wisdom and the ability to listen to problems without the need to "fix” things. We have empathy, compassion, and can say, “me too,” that can help us more than answers to our problems.” - Serendipitous Rebel Guest Bio: We’re...
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Friendship in the Digital Age: Fake Connection vs. Real Community
The Brave Enough Show for Women Physicians
In this episode of The Brave Enough Show, Dr. Sasha Shillcutt discusses: Digital familiarity is not emotional intimacy Why high-functioning women are especially vulnerable to fake connection Your nervous system can’t regulate through a screen Real community requires intentionality in a digital world “Fake connection fills your time. Real community fills your soul.” - Dr. Sasha Shillcutt , my new, short, on-demand course, is designed to be your toolkit for making small changes that add...
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Reinventing Your Career After 40: Your Experience Is Your Power
The Brave Enough Show for Women Physicians
In this episode of The Brave Enough Show, Dr. Sasha Shillcutt and Lindsay Pinchuk discuss: How to reinvent your career after 40 How to protect your boundaries when you are in a career transition How to find the community YOU need to thrive “When you don’t want to put yourself out there, when you want to cancel the girl’s night out and stay in, the answer is always NO. GO. Get in front of your girlfriends. Go on the girls trip. ALWAYS say yes. You need other women to thrive.” -Lindsay Pinchuk Lindsay Pinchuk is an award-winning...
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When Women Hurt Us: Healing Female Wounds Without Hardening
The Brave Enough Show for Women Physicians
In this episode of The Brave Enough Show, Dr. Sasha Shillcutt and Dr. Zarya Rubin discuss: The importance of Vitamin “J” How to downregulate our nervous system Our stress response and why it is important to understand in building female relationships “Social media is the Saber-tooth tiger of our generation.” -Dr. Rubin Guest Bio: Dr. Zarya Rubin is a Harvard-educated functional medicine physician, TEDx speaker, and burnout expert, specializing in helping smart women heal from chronic stress and burnout that...
info_outlineIn this episode of The Brave Enough Show, Dr. Sasha Shillcutt and Dr. Sunny Smith discuss:
- Being lonely in a room full of people
- How to tear down the walls we build
- Not believing everything we think
“We are meant to live in community with others. When we are vulnerable, authentic, and truthful, we open ourselves up for real connection.” -Dr. Sunny Smith
Dr. Sunny Smith is the Founder and CEO of Empowering Women Physicians, the most effective physician coaching program documented to date. Dr Smith brings her background as an awarded Medical Educator, Clinical Professor of Family Medicine and Public Health, and long history of being an advocate for medical student and physician wellness into the coaching space. She leads a comprehensive and collaborative coaching program, podcast, retreats, and Facebook group that seek to change the culture of medicine. Dr. Smith is the recipient of multiple teaching awards, including Humanism in Medicine, Excellence in Teaching, and Outstanding Community Leader award. Her work has been published in many peer-reviewed journals, including JAMA. She has been in the top 1-2% of female entrepreneurs in the US for the past 6 years and has been featured in Forbes, Inc 5000, and Entrepreneur Magazine.
Brave Balance is about transforming your professional and personal life in a safe, small group setting. You will grow deep in self-awareness, set clear boundaries, and develop strong time management skills to create the work-life balance you desperately need (and deserve). Change your mindset to let unhealthy behaviors go, and create long-lasting work-life control so you can live well on YOUR terms.
Brave Enough 2026 CME Conference For ten years, women have gathered at the Brave Enough Conference to step away from the demands of medicine and into a space of renewal. This anniversary year, we celebrate a decade of empowerment and sisterhood—ten years of lifting each other up, reigniting purpose, and remembering that none of us has to do this alone. Join us September 24-27, 2026 at the Omni Scottsdale Resort and Spa.
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